We celebrate the one time of year when Ireland comes to us, Milwaukee Irish Fest, we test out some new podcasting equipment, Liam gives us his secret to the best Bread and Butter Pudding just before singing us Farewell to Nova Scotia. CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON below to listen.

Milwaukee Irish Fest has grown to become the largest celebration of Irish culture in North American. The event welcomes 125,000 visitors, features 19 stages and showcases over 100 artists. Visitors are also invited to participate in lessons in Irish song and dance, meet Irish dog breeds, conduct geneological research, shop the Market place, enjoy Irish foods and plenty more.

Our tips for your visit to Irish Fest:

Read over the schedule before you arrive and highlight one or two must-sees. I wouldn¹t recommend planning a full entertainment itinerary. You¹ll just end up rushing from stage to stage.

Dress comfortably. You¹ll be doing a lot of walking as you explore the grounds.

You can visit the Market Place which is a great way to find all kinds of Irish and Irish-inspired items, but for something a bit more interesting, catch the Cultural Village. This area tends to be a little less crowded, and you often get to meet a craftsperson, author or Irish musician.

When it comes to enjoying the festival, I¹ve always found it fun to find a comfortable spot near one of the smaller stages and just spend an hour or two in one spot. While you¹re soaking in the entertainment, food and drink, be sure to strike up a conversation with anyone who happens to sit nearby. A simple “Have you been to Irish Fest before?” or “Are you familiar with this artist?” provide great conversation starters.

Don’t miss the Irish dancers. There are several groups and there¹s a good chance one of them will be performing somewhere on the grounds almost every hour.

The Sunday morning mass can be quite an experience with its full choir, processional led by bagpipes and prayers in both Irish and English. And as a reward for going to church, you¹ll also get free admission to Irish Fest after mass. Additional admission discounts are listed on the Irish Fest website.

Just for fun, be sure to try one of the free Irish dance lessons.

And probably our best bit of advice is to experience Irish Fest on Thursday evening. It¹s a smaller, more intimate affair with a crowd made up of volunteers, locals and performers who are in town for the festival.

Located near Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the Ulster American Folk Park uses costumed guides and authentically furnished buildings to tell the story of Ulster emigrants to the Americas in the 18th & 19th centuries.

Each building in the open-air museum focuses on a different family and their lives either before or after their passage to the New World. Half the park is set in Ireland, the other half lies just on the other side of the full-size reconstruction of an early 19th century ship and shows immigrants lives in North America.

Discovery World Podcasting Equipment We visit Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin to test out some new podcasting equipment and get a birdseye view of the Milwaukee Irish Fest grounds. In this episode we used a Morantz professional, portable recording device.